Frame Of Mind
by smut1956
Summary: Sequel to "Frame Of Reference". Booth rushes to find and reassure an upset and jealous Brennan in the still of the night.    Bones and its characters are the property of Hart Hanson and Fox Studios. No Copyright Infringement is intended.


**Frame Of Mind**

The Jeffersonian Institute thrived on contrast—the classically designed exterior masked the cutting edge interior. Staff members answered age old questions about antiquities with the latest in technology. The modern look of the lab was complemented by current adaptations of established anthropological concepts of shelter.

FBI Agent Seeley Booth wouldn't put his sense of the Jeffersonian into those words. However, he understood the dynamics—a cave was a safe place and an aerie was an isolating place that could also make you feel superior.

He gave a cursory look to the cave he knew best—the office of Dr. Temperance Brennan. It was tucked under the building's many layers and off the main platform. The design had enough glass to let light in and give Bones a window out on her world. It gave the illusion of privacy but in reality, people could find her there and there was no escape hatch.

Booth zipped his access card through the security slide and dashed across the platform to confirm no Bones sighting on this level. The monitors and small lights on pieces of equipment blinked and occasionally beeped. He preferred open spaces and real lights like stars lighting the way.

The tall, solidly built man bounded toward the stairs. If Bones wasn't tucked away in her cave, she'd gone to great heights to isolate herself. The little seating area and coffee bar offered an overview of the platform and it could render a person nearly invisible using the plants and seating areas.

In his mind's eye he could see her tucked into the corner of a couch with the bare minimum of lights. She knew she was beautiful; however, she still had a tendency to disappear into herself when threatened by emotions. Or worse, when hurt she would appear to shrink before your eyes.

Booth hit the top of the stairs and crossed over the skyway. His mind flashed back to looking out over the lab platform watching her work or leaning over with her, especially watching her father with his son. He marveled at how they could be paired in such intimate circumstances and still not be intimate. However, there was no one who could claim his attention like Bones.

He got to the coffee area and spotted her. She was curled into the corner of the couch without any lights and not even the pretense of coffee. Booth stayed silent while wandering to the coffee bar knowing it was imperative to approach Bones cautiously like a skittish horse. He had to keep her from feeling like she had to bolt again.

"Nobody believes me when I tell'em this is some of the best coffee in town. Must be the private money, you can buy the best."

Before he could turn, he heard her quiet voice. "I don't understand why you're here Booth."

"I told you, I wanted coffee."

"That's a transparent reason with no basis in fact. Where is Dr. Bryar?"

There was a note of anguish in her voice. It was what he'd feared when Catherine told him that Bones had shown up at the door before the Chinese food. Once he realized she'd left without a word or explanation he'd dashed out leaving Catherine confused and possibly angry. She'd suggested he call Brennan, he blew that suggestion off proclaiming, "No, that won't work with Bones. You wouldn't understand."

Now, he had to make Bones understand. He shrugged in response to Bones' question. "Hard to say, either eating the Chinese alone or back at her place."

"You should be with her. It seemed you were in for an intimate evening."

"Things aren't always like they seem. You're a scientist so you know that you have to study more than the surface."

"That is true." She folded her hands in her lap but they didn't stay still. It was unusual for her to exhibit signs of nervousness. "Go ahead, Booth, explain."

Before he could sit next to her his phone went off. He glanced down and without pausing joined her on the couch. Bones took the coffee he offered. She took a sip and set it aside. All the while she watched him and listened to the continuous ringing, "Booth, you can answer that."

"Not a high priority right now, Bones."

"It could be Parker or the FBI."

"Nope, not the right rings and I did check the caller ID just in case."

"The correct ring?"

"I have programmed calls that are the highest priorities with their own rings."

"That makes sense and shows good time management skills."

"Yeah and it cuts down on the telemarketers."

"How would they…oh, humor."

They noticed the ringing stop and then a click when voice mail activated. Booth sipped his coffee and waited for an opening from his partner. Then, the phone rang again. He didn't react but Bones jumped and frowned as she retrieved her coffee. "Someone is very persistent Booth."

He shrugged and hit the phone to turn it off. Brennan looked stunned. "If that call's not important, the next one might be, Booth."

"You're right." He handed her his coffee and stood up. He flicked the phone back on and set it to vibrate. "Now, we'll have quiet. The only one disturbed will be me when the vibration tickles me."

Booth did a little shimmy expecting a smile. Instead, tears trembled at the edge of Bones' lashes framing those huge eyes. She blurted out, "I'm complicating everything just because I took a chance and didn't call. But maybe you would have ignored my call too."

Without thinking, he crouched down in front of her to softly issue an order. "Put the coffee down please, Bones."

She did and he took her hands while still crouched down. "There are three rings I always take—the FBI, Parker and you. I would never ignore you or consider hearing from you messing anything up. That said, drop over any time."

"I did."

"I know and for myby the books, just the facts Ma'am squint, you sure took a wrong turn."

"You mixed up several metaphors with cultural references to make yourself clear."

"I think you are deliberately misunderstanding but here goes." He squeezed her hands, "Look at me, Bones. That's better. Catherine and I were going to dinner to a place within walking distance. Once outside, a passing car zoomed by and hit a puddle from today's rain. It soaked her clothes and I invited her back upstairs to dry out."

Brennan tried to pull her hands away, "That's plenty of information."

He tightened his grip on her hands. "I gave her my robe and showed her to my bathroom. She changed alone and I dropped her clothes by the heater while she ordered Chinese."

Booth continued, "I was changing my clothes since I got splashed too. That's it, just dinner, nothing else."

"So, I made you miss dinner, Booth. Actually, both of you missed dinner and an evening of at least companionship because I barged in."

"For all I know, Catherine ate all the Mu Shu. I left her money and told her to do what she wanted when I tore out of there."

Bones looked at their joined hands. Strong, steady pressure from his enveloped her smaller hands. "Booth, why did you rush out that quickly?"

"Because you came over, left something and left. That's not you." He turned her hands over and stared at the palms. "Nothing else mattered except finding you and finding out what was wrong."

"Oh. Well, you found me."

"I did and before I freeze in this position." Booth let go of one of her hands and tipped her face toward him. "You need to help me find out what's wrong."

"Don't do that." She batted his hand away. "Nothing is wrong."

"Bones?" He had to tread lightly. She was always like a wounded animal when it came to emotional matters especially when it concerned the two of them.

"Fine, I foolishly felt like an intruder, an outsider. It bothered me and I'm not used to being uncomfortable. It's an anathema to someone with my superior intelligence and experience. And even without having looked at her curriculum vitae, I'd know I was Catherine's better."

"You looked up her stats?" Booth tried to keep the good humor out of his voice for a more neutral tone, "Sounds like you are jealous."

"Her schooling, her degrees, her place of employment, none of those even approach my level."

"Must be something else then."

"I suppose I didn't like seeing her in your apartment wearing the robe I bought you and eating Chinese from the place we use."

"Okay, it was my apartment and it was either give her my _only _robe or one of my t-shirts. I don't think you would have liked to have seen that."

Bones let her mind calculate the length of a t-shirt and decided the robe was more practical and less provocative. She nodded and Booth continued, "The food was from a different Chinese place, that one that's closer."

"The one that charges for fortune cookies?"

"Yes, that one. I just couldn't call China Jade, that's one of those things that's ours, between us."

"Booth, my feelings can't be quantified as logical."

"Yeah, but they qualify as emotions and that's a good thing."

"We agreed to prevent emotions from impinging on our partnership." She looked into his brown eyes, "You agreed we'd see other people."

"Because you decreed we'd keep from taking the next step."

Bones tugged on his hands, "Where are we then?"

"In some way, where we've always been. We're partners and you know what that bond means. We're friends and I cherish that."

Her quick nod while she proclaimed, "I do too." heartened him. He continued, "Finally, we're family. You will always be my priority."

Booth took her hands and tapped them on her legs for emphasis. "That means you come right after Parker."

"I can accept that."

"Same for anyone else who comes into my life. Non-negotiable, they have to accept that. And you don't ever have to run out of my place again. And anyone who can't accept your place in my life, can't be in my life."

"Thank you, Booth." Her voice was husky from unshed tears. She sat a little straighter, determined to conquer her emotions. "I'll be fine."

"Glad you will be." He sprang up from the crouch and plopped next to her on the couch. He stretched out his long legs, "I was starting to cramp up."

Brennan turned sideways to study him. He wore a well broken in pair of jeans and one of those t-shirts featuring an older version of the Philadelphia Flyers' logo. Everything emphasized his fitness and stylish attitude. "Booth, your physical condition should allow you to recover from that position."

He sipped his coffee and kept his comments to himself. He liked it when Bones checked him out. It was one of the tools he used to stay motivated during workouts. Even after their falling out, he couldn't fail her or disappoint her.

It was time to go another direction. "Bones, what's in the bag?" There was a small gift bag with tissue on its side on the end table. Before she could answer, he continued, "Wait, I saw a bag like this at my house."

"You did. It's what I dropped off for you." She hastened to add, "From Angela, not from me."

"Okay, hey you also said something about Angela and Hodgins."

"It seems they are back together."

"Wow." Booth silently applauded their optimism and then felt jealous that they were closer to a happy ending than he was. He had to shake it off, "Are you okay with that, Bones?"

"Their relationship or lack of it has nothing to do with me. They did their jobs here whether or not they were together."

"True, but they're our friends and I think things were better when they were together." He leaned toward Brennan, "It's good for them, good for all of us."

"I suppose." She shrugged, "We'll have to wait and see. Angela has had many men in her life."

"Don't make her sound like a floozy, Bones. She's your best friend."

"Yes, she is. However, I'm simply stating a fact."

"Well, make it sound nicer." He body bumped her lightly, "You have to admit she was happiest with Hodgins. Now, show me the present."

Bones reached into the bag and pulled out a picture frame. "Angela took the reunion picture and made this frame. I was just going to give you yours in the cardboard sleeve. She wanted to do more."

"Man, she really did. This is amazing and she made it. Cool." He ran a finger along the resin, "Check it out, Bones. It looks like a bone—the color any way."

"Yes, Angela mentioned that and thought the steel was a strong contrast. Yours is the same materials done in a different style and the reverse order."

"Very nice." He snaked an arm around her and put a hand on the frame. It allowed him to bracket her body. He was pleased when she didn't shy away as he continued, "Of course, look at the stunning subjects she had to work with."

"We are appealing looking by society's norms. Booth, I didn't know there was an official prom pose. Angela pointed it out to me."

His head was next to hers and his warm breath tickled her ear. "Oh yeah, she's right. But it would more correctly be called the school dance picture pose. It also works for homecoming, winter formal, etc."

"I suppose you went to a lot of dances." There was a wistful note in her voice that tore at Booth's heart.

"Enough." It was his turn to shrug to try to lessen the importance of things she'd missed in school. "Tall guys are always a hot commodity, plus Pops made sure I had a car."

"In the accepted teenage social strata both facts would give you an elevated status."

"What you said and I could moonwalk like Michael Jackson as you know."

She looked closely at him, "You also slow dance well."

"See that was the best part." He let himself loosen his hold on the frame to hold her a little closer. "No chaperones around anymore to measure the distance between us."

"Booth." That was all she said, however, she made no effort to break away. If anything she slightly melted against him. "Do you really think Angela and Hodgins can make things work again?"

"I'm an optimist and a romantic. I think what they learned while they were apart will help them now that they're back together. Especially, if we're rooting for them." He knew Angela at least was rooting for him to hook up with Bones. Most of the lab felt their connection, the vibrations; Bones was the only one who always stayed oblivious.

For now, she was staying quiet in his arms. He was relieved she was overcoming her reluctance to let anyone touch her. Allowing herself to be held like this was another huge step for this damaged woman and an immense gift for Booth.

Temperance Brennan had broken his heart outside Sweets' office when after their kiss she refused to take a gamble with him. He'd quickly realized she wasn't scared of being hurt as much as she was scared of hurting him. Booth wanted that all encompassing love and he had determined it would have to be with Bones or no one.

That optimistic nature he'd mentioned to her kept him believing in that future. For now, his life was full with Parker, his work with Bones along with the crazy crowd of squints and Camille around him.

Brennan held the picture with one hand and used the other to trace a pattern on Booth's bare arm holding her. Her scientist's well ordered mind felt settled and on an even keel for the first time this evening. She couldn't allow herself to admit much that was in her heart, however, she sensed a change was coming despite her misgivings about whether she was good for Booth long term or even more crucially, on his terms.

Uncharacteristically, Dr. Temperance Brennan opted to turn off her well developed and advanced mind. FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth was with her and she believed him when he said she was important to him. She was certain she could trust him and that was a watershed moment in her life.

She let the semi-darkness of this level seep into her as it blended with the occasional blinking light and beep from the lab.

The night raced on as they both relaxed into each other and eased toward their future.

The End

**A/N I thought there was more to say after I finished writing "Frame Of Reference. The more I watched the previous season, there were still some great character nuggets as opposed to most of the current (6th season) which has been making me nuts and unhappy. So back to fan fic where all can be well. **


End file.
